How to Make an Echo Effect in DaVinci Resolve (Step-by-Step)

Adding an echo effect to audio in DaVinci Resolve is straightforward once you know where to look. The catch is that the effect is not labeled “echo” anywhere in the interface, which trips up a lot of editors. This guide walks you through two reliable methods: using the native Fairlight FX Delay plugin (the recommended approach) and manually duplicating clips on the timeline for visual control.

Echo vs. Delay in DaVinci Resolve — What You’re Actually Looking For

DaVinci Resolve does not have a plugin called “Echo.” The effect you want lives inside Fairlight FX under the name Delay, and it produces exactly the same result: distinct, spaced-out repetitions of the original sound.

This is different from Reverb, which simulates the diffuse ambience of a room. Reverb blends reflections together into a wash of sound, with no clear separate repeats. If you want the classic “hello… hello… hello…” effect, you need the Delay plugin, not Reverb.

Both plugins are available in the free version of DaVinci Resolve.

Method 1: Apply the Echo Effect Using the Fairlight FX Echo Plugin (Recommended)

This method gives you the most control and works in real time. Follow each step in order, and you will have a working echo effect by Step 5.

Step 1 — Switch to the Fairlight Page

At the bottom of the DaVinci Resolve screen, click the Fairlight icon in the page toolbar (it looks like a small equalizer wave). The workspace will shift to show the Mixer panel on the right, the audio timeline at the bottom, and the Effects Library accessible from the top-left panel area. If you do not see the Effects Library panel, go to View > Show Effects Library to enable it.

Step 2 — Open the Effects Library and Find the Delay Plugin

In the Effects Library panel, click on Fairlight FX to expand the category list. Scroll down until you see Delay and click on it to select it. You can also type “Delay” into the search bar at the top of the Effects Library if you want to find it faster. Do not select Reverb or Chorus by mistake — you want the plugin named exactly “Delay.”

Select the clip you are working on, and make sure it is highlighted. In the Effects section, click the “+” icon. Choose Delay in the next menu and lastly, the Echo option. 

Step 3 — Apply the Delay Effect to Your Audio Track or Clip

You have two options here:

• Clip-level: Drag the Delay plugin directly onto a specific audio clip in the timeline. The effect applies only to that clip. This is the recommended approach for adding echo to a single line of dialogue or a specific sound effect.

• Track-level: Drag the Delay plugin onto the track header (the labeled area to the left of the timeline). The effect applies to every clip on that track.

For targeted echo, use clip-level. The plugin window will open automatically once you drop it onto the clip.

Step 4 — Configure the Echo Parameters

This is where you shape the sound of your echo. The Delay plugin has three controls that matter most:

Start with a Delay Time of around 300 ms, Feedback at 40%, and Mix at 25%. These settings produce a clean, recognizable echo on voice without overwhelming the original recording. Adjust from there based on what you hear.

Pro Tip: If you want your echo to feel musically locked to a background track, calculate a tempo-synced delay time using this formula: 60,000 divided by the song’s BPM equals the quarter-note delay time in milliseconds. For a 120 BPM track, that is 500 ms.

Step 5 — Preview and Fine-Tune

Press the spacebar to play your audio and hear the echo in real time. You can adjust Delay Time, Feedback, and Mix while the audio is playing — the changes take effect immediately. If playback sounds choppy due to processing load, press Ctrl+/ (Windows) or Cmd+/ (Mac) to render the section and hear the final processed output without lag. Once you are satisfied, close the plugin window. The effect is saved automatically.

Method 2: Create a Manual Echo with Clip Duplication

This approach skips the Fairlight page entirely and works directly in the Edit page. It takes more steps, but every echo repeat is a visible clip you can move, trim, or remove individually.

1. Duplicate the audio clip. In the Edit page timeline, hold Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac) and drag the clip to the track directly below it to create a copy.

2. Offset the duplicate. Slide the copied clip to the right by a consistent number of frames. For a 200 ms echo at 30 fps, move the clip approximately 6 frames to the right.

3. Reduce the duplicate’s volume. Right-click the copied clip and adjust its volume down by around 6 dB to 12 dB. This makes the repeat sound quieter than the original, which is how natural echo behaves.

4. Repeat for additional echoes. Duplicate the already-quieter copy, offset it by the same amount again, and drop the volume another 6 dB. Repeat until the echoes fade into silence.

5. Review the result. Play back the section and adjust the offsets or volumes as needed.

This method is more labor-intensive than the Fairlight FX plugin but gives you explicit frame-level control over every single repeat, which can be useful for sound design work where exact timing matters.

Tips for Getting the Best Echo Effect

• Sync delay time to your music. Use the formula 60,000 divided by BPM to find a musically aligned delay time. Echo that locks to the beat feels intentional rather than accidental.

• Apply echo selectively. Adding echo to an entire dialogue track sounds messy. Instead, apply the effect to a single word, phrase, or sound effect for maximum impact.

• Start with clean source audio. Echo amplifies any noise or distortion already in the recording. A noisy microphone recording will sound noticeably worse with echo applied. Recording in 48 kHz / 32-bit Float with AI Noise Cancellation, as available with the Hollyland LARK MAX 2, gives you a cleaner signal to build effects on top of.

• Automate the Mix parameter. In the Fairlight page, you can add keyframes to the Mix control so the echo fades in at a specific moment or fades out before the next line. This keeps the effect feeling dynamic rather than static.

FAQ

Q1: Why can’t I find an “echo” effect in DaVinci Resolve?

DaVinci Resolve labels this effect “Delay” inside the Fairlight FX library. There is no plugin named “Echo” in the interface. Open the Effects Library on the Fairlight page, expand Fairlight FX, and look for “Delay.” Once applied and configured, it produces the classic echo sound you are looking for.

Q2: Does the free version of DaVinci Resolve include the Delay/Echo plugin?

Yes. The Delay plugin under Fairlight FX is available in the free version of DaVinci Resolve. You do not need DaVinci Resolve Studio to access it. All three primary parameters — Delay Time, Feedback, and Mix — are fully functional in the free version.

Q3: What’s the difference between echo and reverb in DaVinci Resolve?

Echo (Delay) produces distinct, clearly audible repetitions of the original sound, spaced out over time. Reverb simulates the ambient reflections of a physical space — the repeats blend together into a diffuse tail with no clear separation. For a classic echo effect with recognizable repeats, always use the Delay plugin, not Reverb.

Q4: Can I add an echo effect from the Edit page, or do I need to use Fairlight?

You can apply Fairlight FX plugins from the Edit page. Click on your audio clip, open the Inspector panel, and navigate to the Audio Effects tab to find and add the Delay plugin. However, the Fairlight page gives you better visual metering, more precise parameter control, and a dedicated mixer view, making it the preferred workspace for detailed audio work.

Next Steps

Applying an echo effect in DaVinci Resolve comes down to two actions: locate the Delay plugin in Fairlight FX and tune Delay Time, Feedback, and Mix to taste. The Fairlight FX method is faster and more flexible, while the manual clip duplication method works well when you need frame-precise visual control. From here, explore related audio techniques to build on what you have learned.

[Editor: Add internal link to “How to Remove Background Noise in DaVinci Resolve”][Editor: Add internal link to “How to Use the Reverb Effect in DaVinci Resolve”]